California Democrats Look to Beef Up Gun-Control Laws

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) – With Democratic supermajorities in
both chambers and a new governor promising to “raise the bar” on gun control,
California lawmakers said Monday the conditions are right for stricter state
gun laws.

(AP file photo/Alan Diaz)

A collection of state Assembly members and state senators
have created a “working group” with a goal of making California a model for
other states to follow on gun control and violence prevention laws. Their
current proposals include monthly limits on gun purchases, new taxes on gun
sales and ownership bans for people convicted of certain alcohol-related
crimes.

The legislators – all Democrats – hope to be “drum majors
for gun control” and said that finding ways to prevent mass shootings will be a
top priority for the Legislature in 2019. The group blasted Congress, which is
expected to hold its first hearing on gun violence in almost a decade this week,
and said California can’t wait for the federal government on gun control.

The group held a roundtable discussion with former Arizona
Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in Sacramento on Monday. Giffords nearly died in a
mass shooting near Tucson in January 2011 and has since pushed Congress and
other states to implement stricter gun-control laws through her organization,
Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence.

At a press conference, Giffords implored the state lawmakers
to be bold in stopping gun violence and create a path for other states to
follow.

“We must never stop fighting; fight, fight, fight. Be bold,
be courageous, the nation’s counting on you,” Giffords said, flanked by the
California Democrats.

Giffords’ appearance at the state Capitol comes as the House
Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a gun violence hearing on Wednesday where
it will hear from survivors of mass shootings as well as first responders and
doctors. The House is also expected to vote at some point on HR 8, which
is being called the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019.

State Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-San Fernando Valley, said
gun control and gun violence deserve the full attention of the Legislature and
took a jab at the president.

“There are many others on the national level that just don’t
get it that America and Americans want to send their children off to school and
not have to debate the purchase of a bulletproof backpack,” Portantino said.
“We must send a message to the Republican-controlled Senate and the
gun-panderer-in chief, if you will not act California will lead the nation on
this issue.”

The Democrats’ various gun-related bills are eligible for
committee hearings beginning later this month. Some of the notable proposals include:

Assembly Bill 18 involves new sales and use tax on handgun
and semiautomatic rifle purchases, with revenue going toward
violence-prevention programs. The amount of the new excise tax has not been
announced.

Senate Bill 61 would bar Californians from buying more than
one gun in a 30-day stretch. Former Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar
proposal in both 2017 and 2016.

Senate Bill 55 would add certain crimes involving alcohol
to the list of violations that result in a 10-year restriction on possession
and ownership of guns, including multiple DUI convictions and vehicular
manslaughter while intoxicated.

Assembly Bill 165 would require training for law
enforcement officers on the use of gun violence restraining orders. Critics say
law enforcement groups have underutilized the restraining orders since they
were introduced in 2016. The bill is sponsored by the Brady Campaign to Prevent
Gun Violence and the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association.

The working group says it will conduct more roundtables and that additional gun-control legislation is in the works. It believes it has an ally in new Gov. Gavin Newsom, who pushed a sweeping gun-control initiative that voters passed in 2016.

“We are committed as a group to thinking about how we can
bring an aggressive legislative package forward,” said Assemblyman Gabriel.
“We’re going to bring them to our bold and courageous new governor.”